Drag ratings and smaller graphite reels

[Ruffy]

Hi all,
Buying some half decent reels for my three kids. Looking at the new Shimano Sedona FI in either a 2500 or 3000 size. Going to spool it with 8-10kg braid purely for abrasion resistance but fish them on 4-6 kilo rods with 1.5-2 kilos of drag. The 2500 has a single drag washer rated at 4kg, the 3000 has a three stack rated at 9kg. Either will do the job, just wondering if I should just buy the 3000 so I've got extra or should I get the 2500 knowing the drag won't exceed the rest of the reel (perhaps a protective measure) and my kids can't inadvertently dial up a heap of drag while I am not watching. I am guessing both would explode if you put 9kgs of drag through them so I am thinking this isn't needed in a graphite reel anyway. Thoughts?

Cheers,
Andrew

[Bill B]

Andrew. I would go with the 3000.....set your drag to 1/3 of the line strength...the kids probably wont dial up the drag on the spinner....IMO it is better to have more drag capability than less....you can always turn the drag down to match your line....Bill

[Three se7ens]

Generally speaking, most spinning reels can create enough drag to wreck the rest of the reel in short order.  Dont go off drag numbers, just fish them for the line class designed for, and the appropriate drag range for the line.  I really feel that the drag ratings of spinning reels are just a marketing gimmick and created an arms race between the manufacturers.  Its not that they built stronger reels, they just upped the max drag capacity to have a marketing point. 

Id focus more on capacity for the line weight you want to run.  And base your capacity and line on the species of fish you plan on using it for. 

[Ruffy]

Thanks for the replies fellas! I'll just be doing estuary fishing here in darwin; barramundi, salmon, queenfish and bream are probably the most hooked species. Either reel will hold more than enough 10 kilo braid for the fishing I'll be doing, I guess it'll be the 3000 then based on responses!

[philaroman]

want to spend less & get more?

Look into the older/higher/aluminum Shimano models (Symetre, Sahara, etc.) where 2500 & 3000 are identical reels except for spool depth & drag washer diameter; everything is interchangeable; AND spare spools are included!

you get one of each; swap the spares; each reel has a 2500 spool (bigger drag / smaller line capacity) for 10-20 lb. braid & a 3000 spool (smaller drag / bigger line capacity) for 6-8 lb. mono w/ a little old "hairy" braid as backing...  AND the aluminum frames can handle the higher drag that's possible w/ the 2500 spools!!!

[Ruffy]

Thanks for the heads up Philaroman, I did exactly that! Picked up a second hand Saros 4000F for $40, bit bigger than I wanted but it will suffice. Came with a spool full of old braid and a spare spool of brand new 30lb Fins. Will ditch the old stuff, use the new stuff and put it into rotation. It was dirty, the drag washers are completely shot and the line roller needs to be completely replaced but once that is done I will have a solid reel for one of the kids without a massive expense!

[Tiddlerbasher]

Keep your eyes open for a Okuma RawII in 30 or 40 size - they can usually be found on Ebay for not a lot of $.
I have several RawII spinners and all of them are as tough as hell They come equipped with cf drags so just service 'em and fish em'
2 of the RAWIIs I have were bought as used. I stripped and checked them they were good as gold. The pair cost 40$ from the same seller on Ebay.
They are all alloy no plastic except for the drag knob.

[philaroman]

ditto, on older all-metal Okuma's, in general (very sturdy w/ opportunity for great deals) -- my Aveon 20 is a little beast, bought NIB at 75% off MSRP)...  25 or 30 size should be slightly smaller than a 4000 Shimano; 40-size is noticeably bigger

$40 for Saros is great, if S&H was included and/or you already had the needed replacement parts...  otherwise, you can do better w/ patience

here's a neat trick: keep a laptop on your lap during major sporting events (esp., playoffs), holiday dinnertime, etc. -- you wouldn't believe what gets overlooked, when most guys are too preoccupied to throw in that last-minute bid